Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 19:23:54 -0700 From: Charlie Ford To: type2@bigkitty.azaccess.com Subject: Three Davids then Lyons After crossing the border of South Carolina and Georgia at Lake Hartwell on Hwy. 29. I stopped at a little picnic area at the entrance to the Dam facility. I stepped out of The Mothership, walked across the parking lot to the curb. I looked down and the first thing I saw was a large fire ant bed right at my feet. I knew then that I must surely be back on Georgia soil. For those of you that have never encountered a fire ant, I can tell you it is an awe inspiring experience. A pain phenomena you might say. I can assure, even we in the south have not figured out how such a small insect can crunch such a viscous bite. The initial bite is bad, but the sore it leaves is even worse. It doesn't go away in a day. I stood around at the picnic site for a few minutes letting Gus do his first business on Georgia soil. He seemed happy, it was as if he knew that we were getting close to somewhere. I imagine he is a bit tired of travel as of late. We haven't sat still since DC, well for any length of time anyhow. I got to thinking that I needed a picture of me standing at the sign. The problem was that there was no one else at this little place by the road. I stood there and several cars passed, no one would stop. I stood there a while longer and a station wagon came up the road from the Dam office. I waved him down and this elderly gentleman rolled down his window. I told him of my plight and he said "Sure, I will take your picture for you". He didn't ask many questions, just did it, got back in his car, and pulled away. Once again I stood there trying to wrestle with all of the emotions I was feeling. Never did reach any deep muse, so I tabled the thoughts till the revelations come on their on. I got back in the bus after some full deep breaths and drove toward Hartwell. David Martin and James Smyth had invited me down to visit with them. In fact David wrote me early in the beginning of the trip. I wrote him back then and said I would drop in if I came this way. Here I be. I stopped at a little store just outside Hartwell. I called the number he had given me several times but each time the phone would pick up, then hang up again. I spent about a dollar fifty on wasted ringy dingy's, and honestly was becoming a little frustrated. I decided to drive on into town and see if I could look him up. I mean there can't be that many folks in Hartwell, Georgia that drive VW busses. Upon reaching Hartwell I pulled into a station in the center of town. I cannot tell you how many stares I got from all the "coming from church" crowd that were in the station. Once again the perpetuation of the myth that all folks that drive VW busses are hippies and hoodlums. I am even a reasonably conservative looking guy. I realized that they were not returning from a trip around America, they had not just driven 20 some odd thousand miles, they were still in "the box". I tried David's residence again. This time I got an answer and David's daughter told me how to get to their house. I rolled back out of the station and on toward the directions she had given me. Five minutes later I was sitting in David and James's drive. Now these guys are dedicated to the cause. They are hold out long-hairs and love to party. There are busses parked all around the yard and the house is full of rock and roll and all the emotions it oozes. David is 38 and got divorced about three years ago. he seems to be still recouping from that little trauma. I think that may be why the drastic hard-core lifestyle. He is trying to find his way through his personal maze just like the rest of us are. James is a one legged dude (motorcycle) with a lot going on. He loves to talk and he is good at it. he reminds me of me in a lot of ways. I mean I think our life experiences are different but talking to folks is not a problem with either of us. He is a good guy, except he busted my fire extinguisher bracket. : ) (He fixed it the next morning. Just joking James) : )) David and James were the first Georgia people from the list that I have met. I stayed with those guys Sunday night. I sat in my bus and wrote. I was not in too much of a celebrative mood. I crossed the state line I left a year ago today, and thoughts were struggling around inside of me. I felt like I needed to tell someone something, but didn't know what that something was. I left the on Monday about lunch time heading for Atlanta to meet David Easterwood. Now David E. and I had talked in 96 sometime. In my first days on the Type2 list I had found a VW Bus body that I had decided was going to be a hobby car for me. The problem was that it needed a tranny and motor. Ken Hooper gave me David's name and I called him looking for one. For some reason David got the impression that I was asking him to give me the tranny, that is totally incorrect, but I was waiting on a check at the time and could understand the misunderstanding. Anyway, David also invited me to drop in so I figured I would take the invite. Easterwood to many of us is something of a guru of VW. He owns several of them and even uses a 59 single cab as his daily driver. I figured I needed to meet him. I pulled into the eastern side of Atlanta running I-85 all the way from Hartwell. There is really no better way to get through all the traffic and it was raining so I took to the high road. Traffic in Atlanta sucks to say the least. Drivers of the fast little pieces of American and Japanese crap fly around like they are all named Parnelli Jones or Richard Petty. I guess Petty would suit a little better this being the south and all. I made it Marietta in one piece and found the exit that David E. told me to take. I found the PolyTech Institute where he works as a teacher, then I found I building room 113. We introduced ourselves and after some conversation and an e mail check for me, we headed over to his house. Now David lives in a VW Auto Parts Store. The only thing is that the parts are mostly used except for some floor pans which he keeps in his dining room. Folks there are VW parts on the stove, in the den, living room, bedroom, and dining room. The only place I didn't see VW parts was in the bathroom, but hey..that is where he keeps his VW magazines, that one I understand. : ) Right where they should be, by the commode. I ended up staying at David's for all of Monday through Wednesday. It was raining the entire two days and that was perfect because I need to get some post up. I hate get to get to far behind in my journal. I think I may keep one the rest of my life. On Tuesday morning I got out of bed really late. The sound of the rain on the roof of my bus just laid me to rest. David showed up about 12:00 and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch. I declined and continued my writing, sometimes that is when I feel best, I kind of like doing this. Now I wear a false tooth in my head. My front tooth got knocked out while I was working with juveniles. Usually I lay it on the shelf right behind the passenger front seat at night before I lay down. In the morning I just get up and usually put the tooth in and go on and do the morning SSS's. Well this fateful morning I didn't follow my ritual. I got up and left my tooth laying there on the shelf. Well Gus was hooked to the Mothership so he could have some shelter and get out and walk around. He loves to chew and such so I usually leave him a chew bone to work on when he gets nervous. he decided it was time to check out my tooth. When I went out to get it and put it in, it wasn't there. I frantically searched through the bus, no tooth could be found. I yelled "Gus, where is my tooth!" like he could understand me. I started an even more frantic look. I didn't want to look like JoJo Bubba Jr. all the rest of my life. I couldn't finish this trip with a big black hole staring folks in the face. it made me look downright stupid. I asked Gus again, again he didn't answer. I squatted down and started scanning the ground for anything white, and pink. I saw it, there in the distance with mud and dirt and leaf debris all over it. It was the most beautiful site I had seen in days. I went over, retrieved it, gave Gus a good "NO", and went back inside to wash it off. it was a wonderful day. On Tuesday evening David and I went out to eat with one of the Peach State Transporter folks. Louise seemed like a nice person, but was in the dark pretty much on what I was doing. She and David know each other really well and I sort of felt out of place. These days I find it very hard to be sociable out of context with my trip. I have been alone so much I don't know how to converse about anything much other than my trip, and VW's these days. Later in the evening Zack Arias dropped by. I had told him that I would be at this restaurant and if he could to drop by. Man it was good to see him. Now this is the guy that "GAVE" me the Mothership. He and I didn't even know each other but for about 4 hours, and he gave me the bus. That story is in my first post to the list. I will post it up to my website in a few days. I would hate to confuse you guys with something out of sync with everything else. The Mothership and Zack was a miracle to put it lightly. Now, I know that the more logical of you folks out there don't believe that, but I needed something to help me change my life, and Zack and The Mothership did it. Zack is a Photography student and teacher at Gwinnett Area Technical Institute and is one of the most peaceful people I know. He loves his God, and respects people. What more could you ask for, a man of spirit and passion. On Wednesday after I left David Easterwoods I dropped by Gwinnett to show Zack The Mothership after the journey. It was the first time he had seen her since he drove her out of his driveway sometime mid 96. The stipulations for the gift of the magic bus was that 1. I take my trip, and 2. If I ever get rid of her, I have to give it away to someone else in need of a journey of their own. Not just a trip but a "journey". While at the school he showed me a film he has just done on the Vietnam War Memorial. It was purely moving and I sat there and tears rolled down my cheeks. This guy is good folks, you will hear of him one day. He told me that just after he had given me the Mothership he had gotten the gift returned to him. he had some guy he barely knew give him about $1500.00 worth of photo equipment. This he said was his gift for being so receptive and benevolent. There is a glow that walks with this young man. I had to wonder what that man had given to him and on down the line. I drove out of the Atlanta area without even seeing the skyscrapers that make the skyline of this city. I had seen them all before so many times that it just wasn't that exciting a concept for me. It was this city that built the walls I was so desperately trying to scale just before the Mothership came to me. Yep....I know what the box feels like. I drove to Athens and had dinner with Mary Anne Lahey, my best friend in Georgia. If you remember I got to see her while I was on the road. I saw her in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and now here. She was in those cities doing consultant work at the same times I happen to be there. On last night I drove on toward Augusta, where I was to meet the third David. This time it was to meet David Raistrick, an avid VW enthusiast and the keeper of the "Search for the Beginning of Wind" website. he offered to keep my trip reports before I left and I know that neither of us ever thought it would get this big. I owe him a big thanks for his role in this journey. I slept in a truck stop last night after driving through torrential rainfall along I-20 east. I slept really good and woke up this morning feeling nice and relaxed. The thoughts were at bay, but not for long. as soon as I hit the road I started dwelling in them again. There is just so much mystery ahead. I wish I could know what the future holds. I feel like after tomorrow I will not have anything to get up for. What am I gonna do for and encore. I love what I feel when I am on the road with no where to be, not scheduled anyway. I drove all the way to Grovetown where David lives, called his beeper number, and he called me back. he was not able to meet me. he does interiors and had a truck come in that was getting suited with new leather. There was just no way. He did tell me where I could go to check my mail and send the post in that I sent today. The other one. I hated that I didn't get to meet him, but we will in a couple of weeks, he will surely be at the campout. I drove on down to Lyons, Georgia to my sisters house. Lyons, Georgia is just 26 miles from Hazlehurst, and home. I will there tomorrow, one year to the day after leaving on the longest and greatest journey of my life. I will post up when I pull into my Moms driveway, it probably won't be much, that should please ya'll. It will all be over, except for the reflection and after thought. Zack says that after he took his trip, the afterthought was actually stronger than the experience itself. I think I will be sad. I think I already am sad. Thanks for tolerating the ramblings. Charlie Ford "79" Transporter, dressed for the road The Mothership The"Turning 40 Nostalgic VW Service Tour, and Search for the Beginning of Wind". http://www.slurpee.net/~keen/charlie/charlie.html "Wider still and wider.....shall thy bounds be set" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the list, send an UNSUBSCRIBE message to TYPE2-REQUEST@TYPE2.COM -------------------------------------------------------------------------